What Happened
Vayaloor is situated in the Amparai district. Vayaloor, Sagamam was a colony of the landless poor who were settled in 1972. To reach Vayaloor, one has to travel eight miles on foot. There were 200 families living in the village.
The attack occurred during a ceasefire period. When people left Vayaloor, they fled with what they were wearing. They had lost all their possessions.
Eyewitness widow with five children: "At about 6 o'clock, I noticed men in army fatigues carrying guns standing around our hut. The soldiers rounded all the males above 18 years. Even women were taken along. The soldiers wanted the men to fetch water for them before breakfast.
When their breakfast was over, they asked the people to accompany them on their journey. An officer found fault with the soldiers who had taken women. He said to the women 'wait there under the tree until noon and your men will return after showing us the way.' We waited but the men did not return.
A message came of killing. The remains of those killed were scattered in the Kumarankulam area. Grief-stricken relatives went in tractor-driven trailers and brought the dead. We lost all that we owned at Vayaloor."
A trader confirmed that as many as 40 were killed.
Perpetrators
Sri Lankan Army
Sources & References
- NESOHR - Lest We Forget Volume I